When the wolves are howling and the moon is bright. The witches are dancing, what a glorious sight.

And the imps are praying for the angels to fall. And the sinners are laughing, their backs to the wall.

And the air is pulsing with a deep dark need. As the magic weaves black, you'll fall to your knees.

And your body is jerking, its rhythm unknown. You'll feel the Devil laughing as you're cut to the bone.

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I won the 8th Scavenger Hunt recently with my photo of a Lily. It was for the Women-Digital-Photographers Yahoo e-group and was taken with the 1.3 mp Olympus Camedia digital camera. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Women-Digital-Photographers/
posted by Dark Flower at Thursday, August 05, 2004

 
Finally, a few minutes to update my neglected blog! Speaking of neglected, I've not updated my reading list at All Consuming [on the left] either. I just got 'Understanding the Tarot Court' by Mary K Greer and Tom Tadfor to review and am enjoying it when I get a chance to read, though heaven only knows when it'll get added to Tainted Tarot. I'm also reading another Agatha Christie - The Hollow, lord help anyone reading my review if I mix the too up, they'll have Hercule Poirot unmasking the Knight of Swords a fiendishly clever murderer!


And no, that's not a hint as to who done it!


I had a poem in the latest TABI newsletter, 'Capturing Hope', that's always nice, visit the website if you want a look, and the lovely Ribbitcat who's a fellow TABI member sent me the pocket Thoth Tarot deck as a surprise!


I also managed to update my new-ish website, The Broken Palette and added 2 of my drawings and I'm working on updating my writing resources website, HopefulWriter.


No big news, the main thing at the moment is that I'm saving like mad for a digital SLR camera and have joined the yahoo group Women Digital Photographers [W_D_P].


The camera I'd like is the Sigma SD10. I had decided to go for the Canon D10, but I suddenly developed a social conscious, if you can call it that, and asked if they used animal products in the manufacture of the camera. I also asked Sigma. Sigma said no, Canon got me out of bed one morning with a phone call to tell me they couldn't tell me! Confidentiality issues apparently, the end-user doesn't get to know these things.


The thing is both factories are in Japan, and chances are Canon doesn't use animal products, but there you go. But I'm not too bothered about it, the Sigma SD10 can take some amazing photos in regards to true colour, and by the time I've got the money to buy one they'll probably have resolved the noise issue above iso 400 anyway!


A couple of great sites for reviews and forums are:


ePHOTOzine - UK
Dpreview


That's it for now, now I've remembered my password I may drop by more often, and speaking of blogs, when I get my camera I'm going to try and integrate one of these in this blog:


Buzznet - photoblog community


posted by Dark Flower at Wednesday, April 21, 2004

 
Nightmare with the computer lately, or rather it seems that way. We were supposed to get an upgrade and ended up with 2 dodgy motherboards from the supplier, and now the power supply won't fit into the casing or something or other - still, so far the hard drive hasn't been wiped so there's hope yet :)


posted by Dark Flower at Thursday, December 04, 2003

 
Got this little gem from The Goreletter e-zine.


Stare Down Sally! - "a new kind of interactive game for the Web. The challenge is simple, but winning is hard. Can you withstand Sally's piercing green-eyed gaze and NOT BLINK?"


I won! But then again, I only tried it once and it made my eyes water. :)




posted by Dark Flower at Friday, October 17, 2003

 
I've just finished an Agatha Christie novel and it turns out a poision called Thallium was used in a murder or three. It reminded me of a poem I wrote in 2001 for the Get Out There 'In Brief' competition online at: http://www.getoutthere.com, based on a true case of Thallium poisining.


The brief was to write something that fitted the title 'A Nice Cup of Tea' and I based the poem on a case I found in the book 'Poisons and Poisoners - An Encyclopaedia of Homicidal Poisonings' by Michael Farrell. ISBN 0-553-40683-3.


I got the idea of poison first and then looked at the book to see if there was something I could use, and for some reason I turned to the back of the book first and there it was on pg 280 - Young, Graham.


And as this poem's unlikely to get an outing anywhere else, I've used it's tenuous link to the Chrisite book as an excuse to post it here :)



A Nice Cup of Tea

By Clare McHale (c)2001


The evergreen should

never have seen, soft,

metallic white that

flat lines green under

the spectrum of light.



'A nice cup of tea?'

The abdominal pains with

hands inflamed and

vomiting games as the

delirium stains the bag.



'A nice cup of tea?'

The hair's falling out,

what's that all about?

As the tea boy shouts:

'A nice cup of tea?'



'A nice cup of tea?'

Slightly bitter to taste,

as it's Thallium based.

Casually doctored

for free.



'A nice cup of tea?'

They had to shuffle the grate

as the autopsies late,

but Thallium waits in

it's granule state - 9mg's.



The verdict of law

is read on the floor and

the prisoner can frown,

but he's still being

sent down for…



'A nice cup of tea?


posted by Dark Flower at Saturday, October 04, 2003

 
What the Ancient Romans did for us...


"The Ancient Romans were the first to make glass mirrors and it was thought that when you looked into it, it contained your soul. This is why a vampire has no reflection - as it has no soul."


Interesting.


Source: The Agatha Christie Collection Magazine, Part 45, pg 10.

http://www.agathachristiecollection.co.uk


posted by Dark Flower at Friday, October 03, 2003

 
A while ago I drew a card to represent a writing project, a romance novel. The card my Leonardo da Vinci deck served up was 12-The Hanged Man, and since then this card has shown up in spreads, or related to spreads, I’ve done for other people, probably as a reminder that the project has taken a back seat long enough and I need to get started again, so in light of my rediscovery of the Writer’s Spread that I’ve never tired, and had forgotten I had, I’ve decided to investigate the issue further.


And then maybe I can get down to some writing... or maybe not as the case may be! :)


The Writer’s Spread was done on the 24th September 2003 and consists of 9 cards:

[Many descriptions based on ‘Cosmic Tarot’ by Jean Huets]


1__2______5__6______9


_____3__4______7__8




[1-2] Past pertaining to this project.

18-The Moon; Ace of Cups

Inspiration, the kernel of an idea and this is the first time I’ve had a chapter plan just come to me, I wasn’t even sure I could do a cohesive one at such an early stage, but it all fell into place.
The Moon is my dream of writing a book, this book at the moment; it can also represent artistic talent, the subconscious and hidden mental power, not to mention secrets.
You’re the only person I’ve told about this so far! :)

The Ace of Cups is my pleasure at the idea of this project, and the positive outlook I had for it!

And while all this sounds lovely, it’s in the past position; a strong enthusiastic start is all very well if you can keep the momentum going.


[3-4] Something you need to know about this project, but may not be aware of.

Page of Wands; Ace of Swords

Need to use the drive of these 2 cards to get on with it, slay my dragons, make time, and take action.

Is the Page telling me I need more energy than I have available? Maybe I need to cut some things lose if I really want to get into this project? Or should I focus on his artistic merit and passion to boost my confidence? I know I don’t want to base my hero on this card; he’s a heartbreaker.

This is where I’m grateful there’s a second card to clarify things!
Again with the passion, always a bonus in romance, the Ace of Swords is a card of mental power and triumph; I can work out a flexible schedule, not let anyone down, and still work on my book. It’ll take more time, but that’s not really an issue, and a key phrase for this card is ‘[g]reat determination’.

On the downside the Ace of Swords can mean self-destruction, ambiguity and repression, but tempered by the Page of Wands and Temperance in the next 2-card grouping this shouldn’t come to more than the usual self-doubt and procrastination that besets most writers at one time or another.

[5-6] Forces working for this project.

10-Wheel of Fortune; 14-Temperance

There’s a large market for romance, I love the story and genre, though horror’s my favourite. I have patience – sometimes, and I won’t be devastated if nothing comes of it, I just want to write/finish the story. Maybe I’m lucky too, round and round she goes…

To me, this is the most important position in the spread. These are the cards that show what the projects got going for it, and 2 Major Arcana are definitely a good sign in my book – no pun intended!

The Wheel of Fortune in a positive position such as this can cover good luck, healing, a turning point, through to, inevitability, which in this context is a good thing, the books going to get written whether it likes it or not!

Temperance is the calming influence, keeping me balanced, patient and hopeful. It can also be a matchmaker – a publisher and me, [at some point], wouldn’t go amiss ;)

It also underlines the Ace of Swords and the schedule idea, everything in moderation, it may take a little more time and patience, but I’ll get there in the end, and maybe the story will be better for it.

In relation to the Ace of Swords, Temperance will also counter any negative influences that might arise from the attitude of that card, the Temperance angel has his head screwed on – the right way.


[7-8] Personal meaning of this project.

3 of Pentacles; 1-The Magician

It means hard work, due in part to a chronic illness and other commitments, but my creation will live! It’s Alive!

The 3 of Pentacles is a card my deck threw at me the other day as I was trying to put it away. There were 3 cards in total, and I took them to be in relation to a web-project I’m helping out with at TABI, as that’s what my head was filled with at the time, but the card is just as relevant in this spread as it was in the accidental one.

It can represent effort and hard work, perseverance, and even fame. On the downside, mediocrity, weakness, money problems and commonplace ideas.

In this position it reflects the meaning of the project to me, which I’ve already stated means hard work and perseverance, but also that any obstacles in my way are there to be overcome – big talk considering I’ve left it alone so long.

The Magician can be a friend, represent determination, skill, initiative, juggling things, self-confidence and a free spirit. On the downside, clumsiness, deception, agitation, and even disgrace.
In this position, while I am clumsy at times, I’m inclined to go with my first impulse, and cry of, ‘It’s Alive’!

Whether the book will turn out to be a Frankenstein’s monster, unfairly persecuted and generally misunderstood remains to be seen :)

So, hard work, but on a personal level at least, very well worth it.


[9] Ultimate outcome; including what else this project may lead to.

7 of Cups

I’ll be old and grey before I finish? I hope not! My creation will be born/published? Well, I do have this blog, and if nothing else I can always serialise the story! Run, run now…
The LWB says “Revelation. Supernatural vision. Hallucination. Mistake of the Senses.”

I’d like to think it’ll be a revelation, to me and others, a nice surprise and an achievement I can be proud of whether I get it published or not.

I’d be happy just to finish it at this point, and that’s the truth.
This card can also ‘indicate that important work is happening in the psyche.’ And one of it’s key phrases is the ‘[p]roductive power of fantasy’, a key element in fiction writing.

The description also mentions psychotic delusions, so if I start running about with my underwear on back to front, waving my Miniature Dachshund Murphy over my head, you’ll know the books been published! *lol*

The 7 of Cups in a different spread could be a depressing card to draw, but in the Writer’s Spread it’s rife with possibilities; imagination, dream work, hopes and fears. The only trouble is, it also comes with wishful thinking, disillusionment, illusory success and ruin!

But I wouldn’t mind being a 1 [romance book] wonder!


Where does this leave me? 4 Major Arcana in a 9-card spread, it’s certainly a project that’s important to me, so maybe I’ll post a love scene at some point and you can tell me it’s got enough, or any, Oomph :)


And now that I’ve added the spread to my blog, and gone public, does it mean I’ll actually have to get on and write the book?
The mind boggles, or should that be blogs? Okay, bad, bad attempt at a joke, couldn’t resist :)


posted by Dark Flower at Saturday, September 27, 2003